KRISTEN FUNG TRAVELS

Curated Travel Experiences & City Guides

How I travel like I have a lot of money…(when I don’t)

Flat lay of traveler essentials including wallet, camera, and phone on wooden surface.

I was inspired to write this issue after working with a client. They wanted a luxury vacation—an eco-hideaway with spa amenities— but didn’t want to pay the luxury money. Don’t we all? Is it possible to have luxury experiences for less money? The answer depends on whether you have set up processes to have your money work harder for you. This guide shows you how I have breezed through security, enjoyed handcrafted cocktails in airport speakeasies, and gotten room upgrades. This is how I travel like I have a lot of money (when I don’t).

Notes/disclaimers:

  • This email will be a departure from my small-business-supporting posts, as credit card companies are corporations. If you use the advice, please reach out to me about small businesses to support while you travel.
  • You also need to spend in order to get. If you want help planning a trip, please reach out to me.
Contact

My credit card portfolio (and what it does for me)

These are the tools I use to travel on a budget. From credit cards to hotel loyalty programs, you can actually get deals here.

Best Credit Cards For Travel

These are the cards I recommend for those of you who want to travel well. I share who these cards are suitable for, which perks I have used, and the latest deals available with the card. Sign-on bonuses can add hundreds of miles to your card just for being approved.

Your vacation is already out there, and you have paid for it with your 3x, 5x, and 10x points on food, gas, and everyday purchases.

The two cards I recommend also have travel portals or travel concierges. However, these don’t offer the added value of personalized service or city itineraries. It is a call center unless you have Black status. Contact me for more personalized service.

DISCLAIMER: If you apply for the credit cards using the links, I may earn money or miles. Note: Credit card debt is the number one type of debt for U.S. residents; please spend your money wisely. In the last quarter of 2023, credit card debt accounted for $1.13 trillion of the total U.S. household debt. Accruing interest on your travels doesn’t equal a deal and can get you into trouble. Pay your cards in full every month; additional interest doesn’t mean deals.

Capital One Venture X

This is a card for people who love to travel. Spending points are easy to transfer into miles and hotel points. Subscribing to their newsletter lets you know when your points work harder, like miles sales on Iberia.

Capital One is also adding lounges around the U.S. I went to the one at Dallas-Fort Worth, and it was fantastic. The staff was friendly, and the food was excellent.

With this card, I:

  • Had my Global Entry costs reimbursed. They also reimburse for TSA. (Credit of $120 per year)
  • Got discounts on a CLEAR membership
  • Have lounge access to Capitol One lounges and Priority Pass lounges.
  • Get hotel perks and upgrades
  • Free upgrades and discounts on Hertz and National car rentals
  • You can also add a Cultivist membership, which saves you money on museums around the world and gives you perks like a museum member—like invitations to opening parties and art fairs.

The latest deal I cashed in with this card is that, using the $300 travel credit, we paid $150 for three nights at the Dossier Hotel in Portland.

Venture X

American Express Platinum

The American Express Platinum card is for luxury travelers and frequent travelers. It is a great card for people who want to book travel independently and don’t need additional guidance.

With this card, I:

  • Get into American Express Lounges in the United States
  • Get five visits per year at Delta Lounges with a Main Cabin ticket or higher
  • Get travel credits for Uber, hotels, rental cars, and airlines.
  • Receive a $199 credit to use towards CLEAR. This is how I get through security so quickly and can spend more time in the lounge.
  • Get exclusive dining experiences on Resy.
  • They have a great travel concierge (But note that they can book hotels and flights. As a perk, you get one-on-one help with some experiences; this is a call center, so no one is assigned to you, which can mean retelling your request over and over.)
  • We save money on streaming platforms

Con: It can only be used in the United States and select countries, as many others do not accept it.

The latest deal I cashed in with this card was accessing the beautiful new lounge at MSP, which saved me at least $50 on an airport dinner. Plus, there are better bathrooms and more places to charge my devices without having to fight for space.

AmEx Platinum

Chase Sapphire Preferred

We had this card, but canceled it. It is a great credit card with many of the same benefits—Global Entry, Priority Pass, etc.- but the annual fee no longer makes sense. If you end up with this card, the IHG addition with benefits is worthwhile.

With IHG, you get a free hotel night on the card’s anniversary.

What about airline credit cards?

If you are looking for an airline loyalty credit card, choose a carrier that offers international options. Southwest may be your carrier of choice, but it isn’t partnered with any other airline, so if you dream of trips to Thailand, this airline won’t get you there.

Personally, these credit cards aren’t my preference. They are pretty rigid unless you are a superfan of the airline.

I am a great person to work with if you want to rack up points on these cards by traveling.

Let’s Plan!

When can I use my miles for airfare?

A misty morning scene of a plane on the runway with a hazy sky background, showcasing air travel ambiance.

A handy guide for when you should book flights with points.

  • ✈️ Cathay Pacific: 360 days out
  • ✈️ Avianca Lifemiles: 360 days out
  • ✈️ Flying Blue: 359 days out
  • ✈️ British Airways: 355 days out
  • ✈️ Qantas: 355 days out
  • ✈️ ANA: 355 days out
  • ✈️ United: 337 days out
  • ✈️ Delta: 331 days out
  • ✈️ Virgin Atlantic: 331 days out
  • ✈️ American Airlines: 331 days out
  • ✈️ Alaska: 330 days out

Cash Back Plug-ins

Rakuten

I am a Rakuten fan. I get money back in my bank account for the little things I purchase each month. I have noticed that they offer cash back on travel sites and of course, on travel supplies.

Join Rakuten

Capital One Shopping

If you have the Capital One Venture X linked above, you can also earn cash back on travel, hotels, and everyday purchases. However, you must have the card to get the savings. Follow the directions from the credit card portal to add the plug-in.

Can’t you please do the point system for me?

Navigating the points system is still hard, and it offers me zero commission. If you want to journey on points, there are a few sites/services that can search all the deals out there for you at once. There are pricing tiers for these services.

The Points Guy also just released a book called How To Win At Travel, which I recommend. [Hardcover][e-Book]

Getting a deal (May mean you don’t earn miles)

Also, if you book through Expedia or another OTA, you won’t earn miles or loyalty points. You need to decide for yourself whether the “deal” is really worth it. To many people, the answer is yes, but the future may not thank you. The more you know.

There is no commission on miles. Although you’ve spent money, it is, to us, a little bit like bartering with past funds. Miles means something to you but nothing to us–literally and figuratively.

TL;DR

In short, with these credit cards, I breeze through security, have a great meal and possibly a massage in the lounge, stay at hotels for not much money, and save my money for the vacation I planned, not for getting there.

If you have booked all your hotels and flights, I can create a customized itinerary for you. That is the value I add that travel call centers and OTAs don’t.

Let’s Plan!